The Warren County Correctional Center has a $200,000 fund that can be used for inmate comfort items such as movies, television, magazines, sports equipment -- even pizza and decorations for holiday parties.

But under state guidelines, Warren County Sheriff David Gallant cannot use that money to help offset those inmates' health care costs, which are expected to cost taxpayers $1.26 million this year.

A new bill proposed by local legislators would change that by giving correctional centers across the state the flexibility to use portions of those funds for inmate medical services.

"I don't want to deplete that fund entirely," Gallant said. "But if I can use $25,000 or $50,000 toward the health care costs, that's a good chunk of savings for the taxpayers, and that's what I want to do."

The legislation was proposed by state Sen. Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Parker Space, all R-Warren/Sussex/Morris, after Gallant approached them about the subject at a town hall meeting.

The personal items for inmates come from an "inmate welfare fund." Each county has one, and they largely consist of funds from sales at a prison commissary, meaning items bought by the inmates and their visitors.

Gallant said he contacted the New Jersey Department of Corrections about transferring some of that money to pay for inmate medical, dental and pharmaceutical costs, but was told current guidelines prohibit such transfers.

Oroho said such costs at county jails are becoming more and more expensive, and that lawmakers are always seeking ways to reduce those expenses.

"We thought this idea was a no-brainer," he said. "It seemed like a common sense way to help reduce these medical bills that are, let's face it, basically thrown on the backs of taxpayers."

If an inmate is not covered by health insurance, the county can seek to have their health care covered by liens against their income and property. But Oroho said the expenses usually tend to fall on the county.

Gallant said in the jail's $7.7 million budget, inmate health care costs are the largest single expense other than salaries and wages, which exceed $5 million.

The lawmakers also cited a report in The New Jersey Herald that found just six inmates at the Sussex County correctional facility cost $150,000 in medical expenses alone last year.

"Taxpayers are demanding greater accountability of public resources," Space said in a statement. "We know prison costs keep rising so it seems right and sensible to permit county sheriffs to be able to offset inmate medical costs by giving them greater flexibility in how they can expend inmate welfare funds."

The proposed bills have been referred to the Law and Public Safety committees in both respective houses of the legislature.

The Republican lawmakers expect them to enjoy bipartisan support, noting that Sen. Fred Madden Jr., D-Camden/Gloucester, is a co-sponsor on the Senate bill.